Welcome to the Drummoyne Sailing Club Academy Keelboat program.
We aim to provide a good first step for those wishing to learn the basics of sailing a keelboat and progress to a level of competency to either cruise or race confidently. Our courses are the Australian Sailing Pathways program and are run by qualified Australian Sailing Instructors.
Sessions are scheduled for either morning or afternoon – depending on demand we may also schedule additional courses during the week to suit you – please enquire if you wish to select a different time to our scheduled courses. We can provide a dedicated course for a group of 3-4 – why not organise the family or some colleagues?
Currently scheduled courses are available for booking at: https://www.revolutionise.com.au/drummoynesc/events/
Start Crewing
Start Crewing is the first component of the Australian Sailing Keelboat training course. It is the perfect introduction to the basics of sailing. You’ll get familiar with the boat and the key responsibilities of being a crew member. You’ll get the confidence to control the sails and a basic understanding of the effects of most controls.
Our Start Crewing course comprises four weeks of 3-hour sessions covering the basic safety, theory and practical skills involved in being a crew member on a small keelboat. We use our RS 21 (21 foot) keelboat which is ideal for our waters of the Parramatta River.
We provide a PFD (lifejacket) for use during the course – please wear clothing that may get wet and a warm fleecy or jacket for cooler days. Enclosed, non-marking shoes are also required – an old pair of trainers is ideal and hat and sunscreen should also be worn.
Start Helming
This next step in learning to sail is steering the boat. The Start Helming course is designed to teach students first steps in being in charge of steering the boat. It is the second component of the Australian Sailing Keelboat training course.
It is the perfect introduction to the basics of controlling the boat. You’ll get familiar with the boat and the key responsibilities of being a helmsman. You’ll see the effect of steering on the sails and have a basic understanding of the effects of steering.
As with our Start Crewing course, we use our RS 21 keelboat and provide PFDs for the duration of the course of four sessions of three hours each.